I’m going to put you to work tonight: I’m going to ask you to all do some thinking about your life, and then later I’m going to give you a bit of homework to do.
So here’s what I want
you to do: I want each of you to think
of an activity that is a major gift in your life. What I have in mind is something that you
enjoy so much that you’d say it is a big part of what makes you who you
are. For example, when I was a kid I
really, really enjoyed drawing and colouring, and when I got a little older I
discovered road hockey in the winter and football in the summer. Those were big-time gifts in my life – I
can’t imagine being a 6 year old without a crayon in my hand, and I can’t
imagine being a 12 year old without a group of buddies, and a hockey stick or a
football. For you, that special
activity might be reading, or playing a musical instrument, or skiing or hiking,
or designing or planning things. If
you’re an adult, it might even be something you do for a living. So everybody,
take a few moments to think of something like that in your life – an activity
that really makes you, you. Whatever it
is, hold on to that thought – we’re going to come back to it in about one
minute.
There’s one verse of O
Little Town of Bethlehem that we didn’t sing tonight, and it starts like this:
O Holy child of
Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast our out sin, and enter in, be born in
us today.
At Christmas time, we
hear the story of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.
Isn’t that a great story to hear every year? With the angels and shepherds, Mary and
Joseph, and later on the wise men, it’s been a favourite story of Christians
for nearly 2000 years. But perhaps the
greatest thing about that story, is that Jesus wasn’t just born that one time
and then that was the end of the story.
As the Christmas carol says, if we make room, the gift that Jesus brings
can be born in us even today.
So now I want you to
remember that special gift in your life that you thought of a minute ago. When did that gift really get “born” in you? Was
the gift something that a parent enjoyed doing, so you just started doing it as
a family & found you really liked it, too?
Was the gift something that did not come easy to you at first, and because
of your own hard work, it became a permanent part of who you are? Was there a teacher or coach who really got
you to believe in yourself, and from that moment on you knew this special gift
would be part of your life? Think of the way that this gift was “born” in
you.
Now comes the
homework. I want you to do two
things. First, if it is possible, I want
you to thank whoever helped that special gift be born in you. If you’re going to be seeing them at
Christmastime, make sure you thank them for this gift, or if they’re far away
and you need to phone them, please do.
Many times, people who have given these gifts have no idea how important
the gift has been to you, and we all like to be thanked for things that have
made a difference in someone’s life.
The second thing I want
you to do, will be part of a prayer we say together. At Christmastime we think about Jesus, and
all that he gives to the world: hope, peace, joy, love, forgiveness, concern,
neighbourliness – all those good things.
In our closing prayer today I’m going to give a bit of silent time, for
you to ask Jesus for one of those gifts that you’d like to be a bigger part of
your life. If you tend to hold a grudge
and don’t want to do that anymore, ask to be more forgiving. If you’d like to feel more at peace, ask for
that. Whatever you need to be “born” in
you today, be open to it, and ask God to help you receive it.
I thank you for being
here tonight. I thank those who have
helped me to enjoy special activities throughout the years. And I thank God, for the gift of Jesus, who
brings such fullness and meaning to this day and every day. Amen.
© 2012 Rev. Greg Wooley,
Ralph Connor Memorial United Church, Canmore AB
No comments:
Post a Comment